Critic Of Apopka Mayor Challenges His Seat For 8th Time

APOPKA — Dave Brigman, a familiar challenger to Mayor John Land, is running against the longtime incumbent again.

It's the eighth time Brigman has challenged Land, the state's longest serving mayor.

''It's not healthy to keep a man in there for 40 years,'' said Brigman, who has lived in Apopka for 30 years. ''We need a change.''

Brigman, who owns a jewelry store and auto dealership, is a longtime critic of Land.

After the 1988 election, he accused Land of misusing the mayor's office by threatening to revoke the city license of a pawnshop owner who had Brigman campaign signs in his store window. The Florida Commission on Ethics later dismissed the charge.

Land has already announced he will seek his 14th term in office. Qualifying for the Dec. 3 election opens Oct. 14 and ends Oct. 18.